Dodgers' NL West Rival Doesn't Feel a Need to Make Deadline Moves

Why be aggressive when your fourth-place team can stand pat?

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a clear position to be aggressive at the trade deadline. With three of their top starters on the injured list or in Triple-A, and a lack of lineup depth with Max Muncy and Mookie Betts sidelined, the Dodgers could make several moves to boost their odds at winning a World Series.

One team comfortable with where their team is at and not looking to make any major moves by the July 30 trade deadline is one of the Dodgers' biggest rivals, the San Francisco Giants.

"We have pretty solid players at every spot in the field," Giants President Baseball of Operations Farhan Zaidi said, via Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. "We have a rotation that’s getting healthier and a bullpen that’s done a nice job. So nothing jumps out as a spot where we need an emergency plug in."

Dodger fans must wonder what that sense of contenment feels like. They also must wonder what it's like to root for a team that's four games below .500 (45-49) and sitting in fourth place in the National League West.

While Zaidi feels good about his roster, and a healthy rotation should make a big difference, the Giants certainly have room for improvement. They currently rank just 24th as a team in ERA (4.47). Offensively, they're 14th in batting average (.244) and 15th in OPS. Adding a player who could boost these numbers could help them rise — if not in the division, at least in the Wild Card race.

Barring a disastrous fall-off, the Giants won't be able to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West. The Arizona Diamondbacks are also 47-47 and the second-place San Diego Padres are 49-47. They represent two of the five teams separating the Giants from the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League, currently held by the New York Mets (47-45).

Surely none of those teams will mind if the Giants stand pat at the trade deadline.